(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
A few weeks ago, I reviewed my first ink from the Birmingham Pen Company — Pennsylvania Slate. I was really happy with that ink and surprised by the color. I've been enjoying it ever since. Later, I broke out the other ink I currently have Birmingham Pen Co.: Pincushion Moss. This ink is quite different than the previous one for one main reason (aside from the color!) — Pincushion Moss uses their Everlasting ink formula, which means it is a pigmented ink that is highly water-resistant.
In my day to day usage of pens and ink, I never use archival or water-resistant inks on purpose. I really don't have any requirements for using these types of ink in my daily routines, but I still enjoy using them. These types of ink can tend toward the dull side of the color spectrum due to the necessary ingredients that make an ink resistant to washing away. There really aren't many examples of bright or poppy archival inks for this reason. This is why Pincushion Moss really caught my eye. It's an organic green color that really reminds of my soft moss that you find in the forest. It's not bright, but it definitely draws my eye. It's light enough in color to stand apart from the typical dark office colors, but not bright enough to cause any problems. Plus, it's not a typical blue, black, or red which means you can use it alongside those colors if you need some kind of color coding system.
There's a fair bit of shading that makes the ink even more interesting to look at once it's dried on the page. It varies between a dark medium green to a lighter thin green. In a lot of lighting situations, it also looks gray and brown. This just makes the moss connection even stronger for me because those are the same colors you'll find around moss in the wild when it's on the forest floor or up against some gray tree bark. The color isn't exciting in a pop-off-the-page way, but it's certainly an eye-catching and interesting color.
The archival quality of the ink is stellar. In my rudimentary tests, there's only a slight decrease in saturation after the paper sample is totally submerged in water for a bit. I couldn't get the ink to smudge either, proving that the chemical bond took place and the ink is now one with the paper. If archival ink is your thing, this one certainly does the trick.
The most astonishing think about this ink that I discovered is the dry time. This is seriously impressive. In most cases, the ink was dry in as little as five seconds. I couldn't do any tests that resulted in smears at the ten-second mark. This ink dries incredibly fast. I'm not a left-handed writer, but I'm pretty sure this dry time should catch the attention of the lefty crowd. I haven't been this surprised by a dry time for quite a while. Seriously impressive!
The only downside I've noticed with this ink is the tendency for it to feather a bit at the edges when it's drying. It's nothing major, but you can see it when you look closely. It feels like a fairly wet ink, and I assume this has something to do with the water content that allows the pigments to suspend properly until they come in contact with paper. It feels great while writing — not scratchy at all — but the feathering does show up here and there, unfortunately.
I love that Birmingham Pen Co. prints some guidance on the ink bottle packaging that explains how to use the Everlasting ink. Tips like, "don't allow the ink to dry inside the pen," and "do not use in demonstrator pens" may sound scary, but it's just part of the territory when using pigmented inks. I appreciate that they've printed some clear and concise tips for the uninitiated. Even with those warnings, you shouldn't be scared to try out this ink! Just make sure you use the pen regularly to avoid any drying/clogging issues, and wash it out when you're done! If your pen does get a little clogged, a thorough cleaning will restore it in no time. But you shouldn't use this ink in a clear pen as it might stain the plastic.
Overall, I've been really pleased by this organic-looking ink! The color is exactly what I'd want in an ink that has "moss" in the name, and the super fast dry time is such an unexpected treat. Throw the everlasting nature of the ink on top and you've got a winner.
Pincushion Moss is available in three size: 30ml, 60ml, and 120ml for $19, $29, and $39 respectively. This is a little more expensive than their normal inks, but the Everlasting formula comes at a (well-owed) premium. If you're looking for a lovely green, a quick drying ink, or an archival ink for your collection, add this one to your list!
(Birmingham Pen Co. provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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